‘Tumultuous’ festive season ends in court

Victorian construction union leader John Setka has faced court on five charges relating to alleged incidents over Christmas.

John Setka arrives at court. Picture: David Geraghty

Victorian construction union leader John Setka has faced a Melbourne court on five charges relating to alleged incidents across four days over Christmas.

The charges relate to conduct that allegedly occurred at a West Footscray home in Melbourne's inner west between December 23 and December 26 and involve an alleged Boxing Day altercation between Mr Setka and his wife, Emma Walters.

Mr Setka’s lawyer, Tony Hargreaves, told the Melbourne Magistrates Court his client and police had failed to resolve the matter. Mr Setka’s bail was ­extended and the case was ­adjourned until February 13.

The Australian understands Mr Setka is on extended leave from his position as the Victorian branch secretary of the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union.

He declined to answer questions from reporters outside court on Wednesday.

“I’d love to talk to you but I’ve been told I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Mr Setka said.

In a statement last week, Mr Setka said: “For well over 30 years now I have dedicated my life to the health and wellbeing of construction workers and their families and, on more occasions than I care to remember, my passion and bluntness has landed me in the headlines, and not for the right reasons.

“Over the last three years, my wife, Emma, and my children, David, Kate and Johnny, have suffered immensely from the ongoing political and ideological ­attacks on myself as a union leader, with the possibility of losing their husband and father to a ­prison sentence.

“This has been an extremely enormous strain on our family unit and it has taken its toll on each of us as individuals.

“I ask that while family members are seeking to recover from this tumultuous period in their personal lives, they are given the privacy to do so.”

Ms Walters was allegedly caught driving at more than five times the legal alcohol limit when she was pulled over for speeding hours after the alleged Boxing Day altercation with her husband. She allegedly recorded a blood-alcohol reading of .282 when highway patrol officers stopped the car she was driving, with two children aged five and seven as passengers, along the Western Highway, more than 300km from Melbourne.